An Argument for Attending Church in Person

Another one of my centering practices? Attending church. In person. And this comes from someone who has had a complicated relationship with church. I am convicted that I need to attend, though, so I do. After the break of in-person fellowship due to the outbreak of COVID-19, I am more convicted than ever about church, and that I need to attend...in person. Attending church online is something, and we still do it from time to time (like when we are sick, or out of town), but there really is no substitute for in-person attendance.

Going to church in-person requires a lot. It requires getting up early on a weekend. It requires getting dressed. It limits time for a leisurely breakfast. We have to spend time commuting. It takes gas. All of these force us to set aside church as a priority, which is what it should be.

The inconveniences of attending church in person have some benefits. The physical preparations also require mind preparation. The commute time grants minutes of stillness to prepare to hear God's word. Time in the car on the way home grants time for discussion.

The church as a place limits distractions. Sure, attending church from home is convenient, but there are chores, dishes, laundry, and other to-dos right in my face. There are also other "shiny" things that catch my attention, like loud noises outside. I am also much more tempted to look at my phone and otherwise do distracting things that seem less permissible in the actual church building. The church building, in that way, therefore provides accountability. 

The people of the church also provide accountability. The people we sit with know us and ask about where were when we are absent. Online churches do not have a great way of keeping the hundreds (often thousands, or more) of people who watch accountable. The people we sit with ask about when we miss church not out of legalism, but because they care. Relationships are an important part of the church that online services struggle to offer.

Participation is a crucial aspect of church, especially when it comes to church rituals and ceremonies. Sure, you can sing at home, and baptize at home, and commune at home, but there is something different about doing it in person (Gunderson, 2020). Similarly, there is the doing of life with church members. I have sometimes learned more from conversations with other people than I have from the sermon itself (for example, the man we sit with talking about progressive sanctification as living in a "mixed" condition between our sinful lives here on earth and our glorified lives in heaven). At our church, there are certain "body life" issues (eg church discipline and church support for personal matters) that the church only addresses in person. This is important for the privacy of the individuals, but if we want to help, we have to be there to hear about the need. As Thom Rainer (2020) points out, in-person church attendance is also a way to encourage pastors, and we want that, if we want to keep hearing the Word from them!

There are practical matters, too. As good as technology is, live streams can get interrupted. Internet service can go down. Important parts of a service can get missed. Is some church better than no church? Certainly, but a full church experiences happens best in person.

Going to church is a habit for me. It's something that requires self-discipline, rather than something that comes easy. I could go to church online. (I do go to church online sometimes.) For me, though, and for my husband and I as a couple, being there, were our feet on the floor and our bodies in seats is important. For that reason, we keep doing it. We are committed to keep doing it for as long as we are able, or until Jesus Christ returns.

References:

Gunderson, D. (2020, June 13). 10 reasons to come back to church after COVID-19. Crossway. https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-reasons-to-come-back-to-church-after-covid-19/

Rainer, T.S. (2020, June 1). Five reasons you need to get back in the habit of church attendance. Church Answers. https://churchanswers.com/blog/five-reasons-you-need-to-get-back-in-the-habit-of-church-attendance/